Colesberg

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Town in Northern Cape, South Africa

title: "Colesberg" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["populated-places-in-the-umsombomvu-local-municipality", "populated-places-established-in-1830", "karoo", "1830-establishments-in-the-cape-colony"] description: "Town in Northern Cape, South Africa" topic_path: "general/populated-places-in-the-umsombomvu-local-municipality" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colesberg" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Town in Northern Cape, South Africa ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameColesberg
other_nameKoolsberg in Afrikaans orthography
image_skyline{{multiple image
total_width280
borderinfobox
perrow1/2/2
caption_aligncenter
image1Dutch Reformed Church Colesberg-001.jpg
image2Coniston House Colesberg-001.jpg
image3Colesberg Main Street2.jpg
image4Horse and Mill Colesberg-001.jpg
image5Kemper Museum Colesberg-001.jpg}}
image_captionTop:Dutch Reformed Church, middle left: Coniston House, right: Main Street, bottom left: Horse and Mill, right: Kemper Museum.
pushpin_mapSouth Africa Northern Cape#South Africa#Africa
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameSouth Africa
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Northern Cape
subdivision_type2District
subdivision_name2Pixley ka Seme
subdivision_type3Municipality
subdivision_name3Umsobomvu
subdivision_type4Main Place
established_titleEstablished
established_date1830
leader_titleCouncillor
area_footnotes
area_total_km2174.84
population_footnotes
population_total16869
population_as_of2011
population_density_km2auto
demographics_type1Racial makeup (2011)
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1Black African
demographics1_info167.4%
demographics1_title2Coloured
demographics1_info225.7%
demographics1_title3Indian/Asian
demographics1_info30.6%
demographics1_title4White
demographics1_info45.3%
demographics1_title5Other
demographics1_info51.0%
demographics_type2First languages (2011)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1Xhosa
demographics2_info159.5%
demographics2_title2Afrikaans
demographics2_info233.1%
demographics2_title3Sotho
demographics2_info32.8%
demographics2_title4English
demographics2_info41.8%
demographics2_title5Other
demographics2_info52.9%
timezone1SAST
utc_offset1+2
postal_code_typePostal code (street)
postal_code9795
postal2_code_typePO box
postal2_code9795
area_code_typeArea code
area_code051
::

| name = Colesberg | other_name = Koolsberg in Afrikaans orthography | image_skyline = {{multiple image | total_width = 280 | border = infobox | perrow = 1/2/2 | caption_align = center | image1 = Dutch Reformed Church Colesberg-001.jpg | image2 =Coniston House Colesberg-001.jpg | image3 = Colesberg Main Street2.jpg | image4 = Horse and Mill Colesberg-001.jpg | image5 =Kemper Museum Colesberg-001.jpg}} | image_caption = Top:Dutch Reformed Church, middle left: Coniston House, right: Main Street, bottom left: Horse and Mill, right: Kemper Museum. | pushpin_map = South Africa Northern Cape#South Africa#Africa | coordinates = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = South Africa | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Northern Cape | subdivision_type2 = District | subdivision_name2 = Pixley ka Seme | subdivision_type3 = Municipality | subdivision_name3 = Umsobomvu | subdivision_type4 = Main Place | established_title = Established | established_date = 1830 | leader_title = Councillor | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 174.84 | population_footnotes = | population_total = 16869 | population_as_of = 2011 | population_density_km2 = auto | demographics_type1 = Racial makeup (2011) | demographics1_footnotes = | demographics1_title1 = Black African | demographics1_info1 = 67.4% | demographics1_title2 = Coloured | demographics1_info2 = 25.7% | demographics1_title3 = Indian/Asian | demographics1_info3 = 0.6% | demographics1_title4 = White | demographics1_info4 = 5.3% | demographics1_title5 = Other | demographics1_info5 = 1.0% | demographics_type2 = First languages (2011) | demographics2_footnotes = | demographics2_title1 = Xhosa | demographics2_info1 = 59.5% | demographics2_title2 = Afrikaans | demographics2_info2 = 33.1% | demographics2_title3 = Sotho | demographics2_info3 = 2.8% | demographics2_title4 = English | demographics2_info4 = 1.8% | demographics2_title5 = Other | demographics2_info5 = 2.9% | timezone1 = SAST | utc_offset1 = +2 | postal_code_type = Postal code (street) | postal_code = 9795 | postal2_code_type = PO box | postal2_code = 9795 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 051

Colesberg is a town with 17,354 inhabitants in the Northern Cape province of South Africa, located on the main N1 road from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

In a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many of the country's top merinos. It is also renowned for producing high-quality racehorses and many stud farms, including one owned by renowned golfer, Gary Player, are nearby.

History

Founded in 1830 on an abandoned station of the London Missionary Society, and initially named Toverberg after a nearby hill, it was renamed Colesberg after Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole, then Governor of the Cape Colony. The site of the town lay on one of the well-travelled routes used by traders, hunters and explorers to gain access to the interior. Towerberg or Coleskop is a prominent hill near the town and a landmark easily seen from a distance by travellers.

Colesberg saw a large number of battles and skirmishes during the second Anglo-Boer War, and the Colesberg Garden of Remembrance is located just outside the town.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Colesberg_Main_Street2.jpg" caption="Another view of part of the main street"] ::

A number of 1820 Settlers established farms in the Colesberg district. Outnumbered as a religious group, some attended the Methodist Church and others the Dutch Reformed Church, where services in English were specially held for them. Anglican officials in Cape Town appointed Dr CEH Orpen as rector and the first services were conducted in the Court House and the London Mission Chapel, which became known as St Stephen's Church. In 1852 the construction of the Anglican Christ Church was started, having been designed by Sophy Gray, wife of the Cape Town bishop Robert Gray.

The Colesberg Bank was founded in 1861. Michael Davitt wrote while documenting the Second Boer War, that the previous generation noted the village as a rendezvous for hunters and diamond miners.

Notable people

Cityscape

Architecture

The town boasts many buildings that were built in a blend of Cape Dutch and Georgian architecture with ceilings of reed, and yellowwood timbers, and others that display a range of designs reflecting the changes of 19th century building. Originally plots were pegged out and sold on the site of the town to fund the building of the Dutch Reformed church.

Society and culture

Museums, monuments and memorials

Main article: List of heritage sites in Colesberg

A large number of Heritage Sites registered with the South African Heritage Resources Agency are located in Colesberg.

Economy

Farming in the area is dedicated almost entirely to horses and merino sheep. While in a sheep-farming area spread over half-a-million hectares, greater Colesberg breeds many of the country's top merinos. Colesberg is renowned for producing high-quality racehorses and many stud farms, including one owned by legendary golfer, Gary Player, are nearby. The ostrich-feather boom of the early 1900s, which left many farmers rich, is long forgotten.

The town has a thriving tourism industry, in part because it represents a rough halfway point between Johannesburg and Cape Town. There is a hotel, a motel, and many guest houses and B&Bs around town, most having restaurants and pubs on-site. Several guest farms operate in the district offering accommodation with 4x4 trails, mountain bike trails, game hunting (mainly springbok, wildebeest and blesbok) and bird watching. Three major service stations with on-site shops, restaurants and toilet facilities are located on the N1 at Colesberg. Small industries are located in town, including a sheep abattoir, a factory which makes a range of furniture to order and a panel beater.

The Doornkloof Nature Reserve is located near Colesberg on the confluence of the Orange and Seekoei Rivers.

References

References

  1. Robson, Linda Gillian. (2011). "The Royal Engineers and settlement planning in the Cape Colony 1806–1872: Approach, methodology and impact". University of Pretoria.
  2. "Main Place Colesberg". Census 2011.
  3. Raper, R.E.. "Dictionary of Southern African Place Names". Human Science Research Council.
  4. The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited. (January 2018). "Standard Bank Group – Historical Overview".
  5. Davitt, Michael. (1902). "The Boer Fight for Freedom". Funk & Wagnalls.
  6. "South Africa's Halfway Towns". News24.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

populated-places-in-the-umsombomvu-local-municipalitypopulated-places-established-in-1830karoo1830-establishments-in-the-cape-colony